The Royal & Ancient (R&A) issued a 252-word explanation for Shane Lowry’s two-stroke penalty at the 153rd Open Championship, resulting from his ball moving during a practice swing on the 12th hole. To resolve the ruling, three questions needed to be answered:
1. Did the ball leave its original position and come to rest elsewhere?
2. Was the ball movement discernible to the naked eye?
3. Is it known or virtually certain that the player’s actions caused the ball to move?
Video footage showed the ball moved, but whether the movement was visible to Lowry and his playing partners remains uncertain. The R&A’s rules official told Lowry, “If you don’t see it moving, it didn’t move.” This leaves room for interpretation.
Lowry claimed not to have noticed any movement during his practice swing. However, he later stated that he took the penalty to avoid criticism from others and protect his reputation. Jon Rahm, who has faced similar situations in tournaments, echoed Lowry’s concerns: “You’re in a no-win situation.”
The R&A emphasizes that video review aims to uphold the “reasonable judgment” of players, as stated in Decision 34-3/10. This decision was made in 2017 and introduced standards for limiting video-replay usage.
While some may question the need for this ruling, others see it as crucial for maintaining the game’s integrity. The debate highlights the complexity of interpreting rules and the balance between relying on technology versus using human judgment.
Source: https://golf.com/instruction/rules/well-meaning-golf-rule-cheating